Combined flying-machine and automobile.



J. GAVURA.

COMBINED FLYING MACHINE AND AUTOMOBILE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25, 1912.

Patented Aug. 12, 1913.

a SHBBITS-SHEET 1.

imme/M01 COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON. D. c,

J. GAVURA.

COMBINED FLYING MACHINE AND AUTOMOBILE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25, 1912.

Patented Aug. 12, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

la we/wbo v J abhor/nun omuvn co.. WASHINGTON, n. :4

J. GAVURA. COMBINED FLYING MACHINE AND AUTOMOBILE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25, 1912.

Patented Aug. 12,1913.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

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COLUMBIA PLANoanAPI: CO.,\VI\SHINGTON, n. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH GAVURA, OF JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

COMBINED FLYING-MACHINE AND AUTOMOBILE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH GAVURA, citizen of the United States,residing at J ohnstown, in the county of Cambria and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCombined Flying-Machines and Automobiles, of which the following is aspecification.

Thisinvention relates to self-propelled vehicles, and has for its objectthe provision of a vehicle which may be navigated in the air or upon thesurface of the earth, so that, should an aviator be compelled to alightthrough stress of circumstances, such as the development of a severestorm, he may continue his travel upon the ground.

The invention also has for its object the provision of a simple,efficient, and durable apparatus which may be used for thetransportation of passengers and 1n which the operating parts will be sodisposed as to be entirely under the control of the aviator.

The several objects of the invention are attained in such a device as isillustrated in the accompaning drawings, and the invention consists incertain novel features which will be hereinafter first fully describedand then more particularly claimed.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a perspective view of an apparatusembodying my present invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal verticalsection of the same: Fig. 8 is a view partly in end elevation andpart-1y in transverse Vertical section showing one of the wings orsupporting planes disposed as it appears when navigating the air and theother wing folded to the side of the Vehicle body to show thedisposition of the same when traveling over the ground; Flg. 4 is adetail sectional view of a brace or yieldable support for the side wingsor planes.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a body 1 which has its forwardend tapered, as shown clearly in Fig. 1, whereby it will ofier the leastpossible resistance to the air, and the said body is mounted upon axles2 having wheels 3 upon their ends whereby it may travel over the surfaceof the ground, as will be readily understood. The forward axle isequipped with a steering mechanism 4 controlled by a steering post 5rising therefrom through the bottom of the body 1 and Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed June 25, 1912.

Patented Aug. 12,1913.

Serial No. 705,831.

having a hand wheel 6 on its upper end immediately in front of theaviators seat 7, which will be supported in any convenient manner withinthe body of the vehicle.

An engine 8 is mounted within the front end of the body, and a drivingshaft 9 extends rearwardly from the said engine longitudinally of thebody, the rear end of the said shaft being equipped with a bevel pinion10 meshing wit-h a similar pinion 11 on a transverse shaft 12 whichextends through the sides of the body and has sprocket wheels 13 on itsouter ends. Chains 14 pass around the said sprocket wheels and aroundsprocket pinions 15 on the rear axle, so that motion may be transmittedfrom the motor to the said rear axle to impart rotation to the rearcarrying wheels 3 and thereby propel the vehicle over the ground. Themotor will be provided with suitable clutch mechanism, so that it may beadjusted to drive the said shaft 9 or permit said shaft to remain atrest and then transmit power through a belt or other connection 16 to apropeller shaft 17 disposed longitudinally within the upper portion ofthe body and projecting from the front end thereof, as clearly shown.

The main propeller 18 is secured rigidly upon the forward extremity ofthe shaft 17, and the inner rear extremity of said shaft is equippedwith a bevel pinion 19 meshing with similar pinions 20 on the inner endsof transverse shafts 21 which extend through the side walls of the bodyand are equipped with pinions 22 at their outer ends. These pinions 22mesh with similar pinions 23 on the front ends of supplemental propellershafts 24 which are disposed parallel with the sides of the body and aresupported in suitable bearings secured on the undersides of the wings orsupporting planes 25. Propellers 26 are secured upon the front and rearends of the said shafts 24, the forward propellers 26 being disposed inadvance of the wings or planes 25, while the rear propellers play intransverse slots 27 formed in the said wings to accommodate the saidpropellers, as shown in Fig. 1.

The supporting planes or wings 25 are. secured to the sides of the bodyby hinge rods 28 inserted through eyes 29 at the inner edges of thewings and similar eyes 30 on the sides of the body, as will be readilyunderstood, and similar eyes 31 are provided on the sides of the bodynear the lower e lge thereof so that the wings or planes may be attachedto the body at the top or bottom of the same accordingly as it intendedto navigate the air or travel upon the ground. The 'wings areconstructed of any suitable fabric, such as canvas, possessing thenecessary durability without weight, the said material forming a cover32 for a frame con sisting of light rods disposed transversely andlongitudinally of the wings, as will be readily understood. Thetransverse shafts 21 are provided with universal joints 3% which aredisposed in the same vertical plane as the hinge connections between theplanes and the body, so that the said shafts may have their outerportions folded against the wings, if the wings be turned upwardly,while connected with the body at the top of the same. This arrangementwill be found desirable if it should be necessary to propel the machinethrough streets or through narrow places preparatory to making a flight,under which circumstances, shifting of the planes to the lower portionof the body would involve unnecessary labor and loss of time. Should anaccident, or other circumstances beyond the control of the operator,force the machine to alight before a flight is finished, the wings maybe disconnected from the top of the body and attached to the bottom ofthe same and then folded against the side thereof, as shown in 1 ig. 3,in which position the wings will be held against the body so as toeconomize space and permit the machine to be navigated through crowdedcity streets. V hen the wing is thus adjusted, of course, the transverseshaft 21 will have its sections uncoupled to permit the shifting of thewing, as will be readily understood.

To support the planes or wings 25 in their spread position, I employbraces 35 each consisting of a lower tubular member 36 secured to theside of the vehicle body and an outer rod 37 extending through the cap38 secured upon the upper end of the said tubular member, the said rod37 having its outer end pivoted to the underside of the plane and itsinner end equipped with a piston 39, between which and the opposite endsof the tubular body 36, springs 10 and 41 are coiled. By thisconstruction, the planes will be given a limited vertical movement, sothat sudden gusts of wind will not tear the same from the body of thevehicle, while, at the same time, such a wide movement of the planes aswill destroy their etliciency is prevented. The couplings 34, 0011-necting the sections of the shafts 21, permit the outer sections of theshafts to follow the movements of the planes, so that there will be nocessation in the operation of the secondary propellers.

Elevating planes 4-2 are provided at the rear of the machine and have acommon pivot or shaft 12:3 upon which are oppositely extending crankarms or levers lzzl: to the ends of which are secured controlling cablesor rods 45 which extend through the body of the vehicle to a controllinglever 46 mounted on the side of the body adjacent the seat 7. The cables-15 are run through suitable con duits, indicated at .17, within thevehicle body and are so disposed as to pass above and below windows 4:8formed in the sides of the body above seats it) intended for theaccommodation of passengers.

A rudder 50 is mounted between upper and lower arms 51 extending fromthe rear end of the vehicle body and connected thereto by braces 52 soas to withstand lateral strain, and the rudder post 53 is equipped witha cross-head 5 1, to the ends of which the steering cables 55 areattached. These cables extend under a platform 56 within the body andhave their front ends secured to the extremities of a cross-bar 56 rigidwith the lower end of a steering shaft 57 disposed vertically within thebody 1 of the vehicle and equipped at its upper end with a hand lever 58adjacent the seat 7. The platform 56 constitutes a cover for the cablesas well for the shaft 9 and the gearing connected therewith, so thatthese operating parts cannot be injured by passengers entering orleaving the vehicle.

The aviators seat 7 is so arranged that the aviator will be enabled toobtain a view ahead and to either side above the body of the vehicle andto protect the aviator from the sun or from other elements, a canopy 59is provided over the opening 60 in the top of the body and supportedupon suitable posts 61, as will. be readily understood.

lVhen the machine is to be propelled from the ground, the power of theengine 8 is transmitted to the rear ground wheels 3, as before statedand as will be readily under stood, and the course of the vehicle iscontrolled through the steering wheel 6, the wings being disposed asshown at the left of Fig. 3. When it is desired to navigate the air, thewings are spread, as shown in Fig. 1 and at the right in Fig. 3, and theengine is then adjusted to transmit its power to the propeller shaft 17.The several propellers will then be rotated at a high speed so that themachine will soar and the angle of ascent may be determined by tiltingthe elevating planes 4-2 in the proper direction and to the properdegree. The machine having reached the desired height, the elevatingplane 12 is held in a horizontal position, and the flight will thenproceed on an even keel. Should it be desired to turn to either side,the rudder 51 is manipulated, as will be readily understood, and themachine may be caused to descend by tilting the planes 42, as will bereadily understood.

The wings are provided with eyes 62 which may be engaged by hooks 63provided on the body of the vehicle to hold the planes in their foldedposition, as will be readily understood.

It will be readily seen that I have provided a machine by whichpassengers may be transported from point to point, either through theair or upon the ground, and in either case will be protected against theweather. Should a contemplated flight be interrupted by accident orother cause and it be necessary to alight, the journey may be continuedupon the ground by adjusting the wings, as described, and then applyingthe power of the engine to the ground wheels so that the machine willthen travel over the ground, as will be readily understood.

What I claim is 1. The combination of a body, wings mounted on the sidesof the body and provided with transverse slots near their rear ends,propeller shafts mounted longitudinally on the wings, propellers at theends of said shafts, the propeller at the rear end of the shaft playingin the transverse slot in the wing, and means for rotating saidpropeller shafts.

2. The combination of a body, wings hinged to the body, a propellershaft within the body, means for rotating said shaft, secondarypropeller shafts mounted upon the wings, propellers on said secondaryshaft-s, transverse shafts geared to the said secondary propeller shaftsand the propeller shaft within the body, and universal couplingsinterposed in said transverse shafts in the vertical planes of thehinged connections between the wings of the body.

3. The combination of a body, wings hinged to the sides of the same,propeller shafts mounted on the wings, propellers on said shafts, amotor within the body, and transverse shafts actuated by said motor andgeared to the propeller shafts on the wings, said transverse shaftsbeing equipped with universal couplings in the vertical planes of thehinge between the wings and the side of the body.

4. The combination with a wheel mounted body, and a supporting frame orwing having one straight edge hinged to the side of the body andcomprising a forward portion extending laterally from the body, asimilar rear portion extending laterally from the body to a lesserdistance, and a similar intermediate portion connecting said forward andrear portions and terminating short of the outer edge of the rearportion.

5. The combination of a body, wings hinged to the sides of the body,propellers mounted on the wings, means for rotating said propellers,tubular supports secured on the sides of the body and projectingupwardly and rearwardly therefrom, rods secured to the wings and havingtheir lower ends provided with heads playing in the said tubularsupports, and coil springs arranged between the ends of the saidsupports and the sides of the said enlarged heads.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH GAVURA. [11. s]

WVitnesses:

BEN GIBBoN, JOHN J. GAVURA.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

